


shaking the wings of their terrible youths

by ItsAWonderfulLife



Category: Merlin (TV)
Genre: Abduction, Angst, Angst with a Happy Ending, Arthur reacts badly to the magic, Arthur!whump, Idiots in Love, Implied/Referenced Torture, Kidnapping, M/M, Magic Reveal, Magical Murder, Merlin!whump, Murder, Percival is a himbo because I couldn't write something sad without a slight bit of comic relief, Psychological Torture, Rescue, Slight Comfort, The queen of fluff tries to write whump, Violence, Whump, bon appétit, it's so bad
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2021-01-17
Updated: 2021-01-17
Packaged: 2021-03-15 19:47:27
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 1
Words: 2,426
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/28818750
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/ItsAWonderfulLife/pseuds/ItsAWonderfulLife
Summary: Arthur and Merlin fight. Then Arthur gets abducted. Emotional angst ensues.
Relationships: Gwaine/Percival (Merlin) (background), Merlin/Arthur Pendragon (Merlin)
Comments: 6
Kudos: 61





	shaking the wings of their terrible youths

**Author's Note:**

  * For [Lamu26](https://archiveofourown.org/users/Lamu26/gifts).



> I do not own BBC's Merlin or anything affiliated with it. I wish I did, I'm a poor arts student, someone pls fund my PhD.
> 
> A gift for a lovely friend, who wanted some whump. I'm known for only being able to write fluff, so enjoy this pathetic attempt.

_“I just don’t understand. You promised you’d be there. It was my 30th birthday. You absolute asshole.” Merlin was quiet, and when he was quiet, he was scared even of himself. Because quiet was bad._

_“Merlin,” Arthur objected softly, “I wanted to be there. You know I did! Something really important came up at work and I had to-”_

_“Something more important than me?” Merlin interjected indignantly, raising a single eyebrow. “Because we both know even your father isn’t that much of an evil bastard. He would have let you go early. Unless,” he paused, anger flashing across his eyes, “you weren’t at work at all.”_

_“Don’t be ridiculous-”_

_“Don’t think I haven’t seen the way Sophia-”_

_“Merlin! I’m in love with you! You’re my husband! Stop this. I’m sorry. Please.”_

_“I can’t do this right now,” Merlin sighed, and Arthur swallowed painfully, nodding once in defeat._

_“Okay,” he mumbled. “I wanted to be there. I’m sorry. I love you.”_

_“Yeah. Sure you do.”_

_With that, Merlin grabbed his jacket, keys and phone and slammed out of the house. He didn’t know where he was going but he needed to be away from Arthur._

* * *

When he saw the van in front of his house, he dropped his keys. Fumbling to pick them up, he started running, but not quickly enough to catch the hooded figures shoving his unconscious husband into the back. Putting off the inevitable hyperventilation, he snapped a photo of the license plate and dialled his second most contacted number. The line connected after only two rings.

“Merlin? Are you okay?”

“Gwaine,” he breathed, “someone’s taken him. I don’t know why. I just. I took a photo of the license plate. What do I do? Should I even go in the house? Do you think there are clues?”

“ _No_! Don’t go in the house!” Gwaine's voice broke out through the tinny speaker. “Meet me at mine as soon as you can. Is the photo on your phone?”

Hands trembling, he checked his gallery, nodding once before realising Gwaine couldn’t actually see him. “Y-yes. I’ll see you there.”

After disconnecting the phone, he allowed himself one whole minute to sit on the edge of the pavement, tears flowing freely, and screamed into his hands. Then he stood up. Clearly they had taken his husband to blackmail him into revealing himself. And he was going to get him back.

* * *

Gwaine’s flat in central London was appropriately tiny, with two bedrooms and one bathroom for £2500 per month. Merlin’s best friend, Will, occupied the other bedroom, as he had befriended Gwaine during their first year of working in the same law firm as Arthur.

All his friends were lawyers. No wonder he was so depressed.

Will was on holiday with his parents at moment and therefore it was the third occupant of the flat who threw open the door when Merlin banged on it with panicked hands and barely stifled choking noises of panic. Percival took one look at the growing anxiety on Merlin’s face and pulled him into a tight and suffocating hug. It didn’t really help. Merlin smiled at him anyway.

“Okay, that’s nice babe but I need his phone like NOW.”

“Oh,” Percival blushed, “sorry. You guys want tea?”

Merlin nodded, a minute and barely there movement of his head. Gwaine smiled warmly at his boyfriend, who headed back into the kitchen wearing nothing more than a frilly pink apron and tight boxer briefs. Any other time, Merlin would make appropriately horrified remarks. This was not any other time. Arthur was missing. They had fought and Arthur was missing. He choked on his own breath and, before his legs could fold under the weight of holding him up, flopped down into the arm chair near Gwaine’s desk, where Gwaine was working.

“Got it.”

“What?” he gasped.

“I’ve got their address! It’s King! Perce, it’s King!”

There was the sound of crockery smashing in the kitchen and suddenly the 196cm man was back in the office, sans apron, pulling on jeans and a leather jacket.

“Which centre do we think they’ve got him at?”

“From the CCTV footage, I think it’s Morgause’s external base. They won’t want the main company affiliated with abducting Uther’s son. That’s a death sentence.”

“WHAT IS GOING ON?” Merlin bellowed, eyes wild and furious, beginning to develop the sinking feeling he had been left out of something extremely important.

“Uh-” Gwaine smiled at him bashfully. “Camelot isn’t a law firm?”

“Cam-what? Of course it is! What?”

“Merlin,” Percy placed a gentle but strong hand on his shoulder once he finished pulling on his boots. “We’re spies. Arthur’s a spy. That’s why they’ve taken him. We’ve been closing in on their corrupt company dealings for months. And the missing employees. And the underground centre they have down in Cornwall.”

“What, um,” Merlin gulped, scared to ask, “what’s down in Cornwall?”

“Morgause’s base. Where they perform their experiments. On the employees they’ve uh- abducted. I can only assume,” Gwaine paused to sigh, slinging his laptop bag over his shoulder and wafting Merlin towards the door, “that’s where they’ve taken Arthur.”

Merlin’s heart fell out through his stomach, and he turned to vomit into the kitchen sink as they left. Percival glared.

“I’m gonna have to clean that up when we get back. I hate you.”

* * *

The journey there was unbearable. His breath was coming in short bursts and never really managing to fill his lungs properly. His mind kept supplying that last conversation with Arthur this morning. It wouldn’t- it _couldn’t_ be the last conversation they ever had. They had to make this work. Arthur was _it_ for him. He was his whole world. He had clearly been telling the truth when he said something important had come up.

Which led Merlin to spiral even further, thinking about all the times his husband had been on the brink of death and he hadn’t known about it when they had dinner. Arthur had never told him. Did he even know him? He had spent years torn up because of the weight of his secret, and it turned out that Arthur had had a secret of his own all along. Was anything in their relationship even real?

“We’re here.” Gwaine announced grimly.

Merlin jolted from his reverie, torn brutally from the imagery of Arthur’s gentle smile two days ago when they had eaten breakfast in bed together, softly and languidly exchanging kisses and stories of their childhoods.

“Okay,” he whispered, his mouth suddenly dry and his throat scratchy. He unbuckled his seatbelt.

“Hey,” Percy reassured him, pulling his door open for him, “we’re going to get him back!”

Merlin didn’t reply. He breathed in the sea air, glancing out at the tide as it angrily smashed upon the deserted shore. It was raining. Of course it was raining. Grumbling to himself about pathetic fallacy, he zipped up his jacket and stormed after Gwaine and Percy.

“Um, no.” Gwaine stopped him with a hand to his chest. “You’re a civilian. You’re not going in here. You’re going to keep watch around the car and the outside of the building.”

“Stop fucking around!” he hissed, shoving Gwaine’s arm away. “I’m perfectly capable of defending myself. He’s my husband.”

“Merlin!” Gwaine snapped, grabbing his arm.

He yanked himself free, turning on Gwaine with wild eyes. He knew they weren’t blue anymore, but a deathly and blinding gold.

“W-what the hell?” Gwaine stammered. Merlin watched as a look of realisation crossed his face. “Oh my god! You have magic!”

“Keep your bloody voice down!” he fumed, stomping towards the back entrance of the badly-guarded building.

“There’s nobody here,” Gwaine pointed out, “and you’ve been keeping secrets.”

Merlin’s stomach churned guiltily. He had been keeping secrets. But so had Arthur, apparently.

“So have all of you.”

Gwaine nodded, and after a moment’s consideration, he touched Merlin’s arm much more gently. “I’m still glad we’re friends.”

Percival nodded his agreement, offering Merlin a warm smile. “You can come with, but just- Merlin, be careful. He would kill us if you got hurt.”

Merlin snorted. After this morning, he imagined Arthur would thank them. He didn’t voice this.

* * *

Peaking around the wall he was hiding behind, Merlin saw Arthur, hair matted with sweat, and several wires and tubes attached to him. He was awake. And he was screaming. Merlin flinched, and tried to remember how to breathe. Giving up their position would not help Arthur, he reminded himself, nodding shakily at Gwaine and Percival, who were hiding behind the opposite wall, and also peering round it. Percival looked a bit green. Gwaine didn’t. Merlin wondered distantly how much they had all seen, how many horrors, how much pain. He jolted as Arthur screamed again, panting against the electric wires being applied to him by a tall blonde lady with menacing eyes. There was also a weasel-like man lurking behind her, with slimy black hair and an arrogant smile. It wasn’t attractive arrogance, like Arthur’s. It was just spite.

“Now, Pendragon,” the blonde lady hummed, amused and uncaring, “do you want to share why your agents have been snooping so closely into our business?”

“Go to hell,” Arthur spat, closing his eyes against the visible wave of pain.

Merlin saw red. Stumbling out from behind his wall, he raised his hand and started to chant menacingly.

“No!” Gwaine hissed, but it was too late to stop Merlin’s magic.

“Who are you?” the slimy man groaned, from where he had been thrown against the opposing wall.

“I am Emrys, you pathetic sack of shit. Now who,” he nodded to the blonde woman, whom he was pinning beside her slimy friend with his other hand, “are you?”

The blonde lady began to cackle. “Emrys! Oh my goodness. As if you could be Emrys. You’re nothing but a boy.”

With that, her own eyes turned gold and Merlin felt another source of magic fight against his holds. It was pathetic but sort of endearing.

“Now, now. That’s not very nice, um- what’s your name again?”

“Morgause,” she spat, wriggling against his magical grip, her face twisted in fury and indignation.

“Well, Morgause. You and your little friend are going to die today, if that’s okay. I mean, even if it’s not okay, it’s what’s happening. But you see, you took my husband. You abducted and tortured him. So uh. I kind of need to kill you now.”

And with that, he did, snapping their necks with one powerful burst of magic. He let their bodies fall uselessly to the floor, and took a couple of seconds to reel from the atrocity he had just committed, before turning to his battered and bruised husband. Who was looking at him with horror.

“No!” Arthur cried, pushing away from him against his ties. “Don’t touch me! You’re a sorcerer! You’re going to hurt me like she did! I won’t- I won’t tell you anything.”

His eyes, fearful and angry, bore into Merlin’s heart, so he allowed his own gaze to drop. He sighed.

“You’re such a dick. I’ve only ever used this for you.” He steadfastly ignored Arthur’s glare, making quick work of the many bindings on his body. “Gwaine, Perce, can you make sure this,” he gestured vaguely towards Morgause and her slimy friend, “is dealt with? Your mission is secure now. I’m going home.”

He dropped the final bindings from Arthur’s arms, and sighed, walking away from his husband without turning to meet his eyes. He magicked the blood from his clothes, and hopped on a train back to London.

* * *

He had barely been home for half an hour, shoving things desperately into a hold-all, his mind racing as he tried to decide what he could leave and risk being thrown away, and what he absolutely had to rescue and take to Gwen’s, when he heard the door open downstairs. There was the sound of muffled voices, a door closing and then silence.

Silence was bad. Silence was dangerous.

Unfolding from where he was perched over the hold-all, and letting his favourite of Arthur’s jumpers fall through his hands, he edged carefully down the stairs, peering around into the hallway. There was Arthur, blinking back at him, a tea in each hand.

“I was um- I was going to bring you this?” he offered.

Merlin didn’t dare breathe. He couldn’t make himself understand what was going on. There was no trace of hatred in Arthur’s eyes anymore. But there wasn’t the gentle love he normally found there. Only exhaustion.

“You should be resting. You’ve been through an ordeal,” he found himself saying, grabbing the tea which was being held out to him with a grateful nod.

“I know. I just- I’m sorry. Gwaine told me how stupid I was being, and that you weren’t anything to do with Morgause, and about how panicked you were. It’s- after our argument this morning, I just figured you had a lot of reasons to be wanting me gone right now.”

Merlin nearly dropped his mug. “What?! Are you mental? Arthur,” he breathed, pained, “I’m in love with you. I’m so angry with you. But I’m in love with you.”

“I’m angry too,” Arthur added, grabbing for Merlin’s arm and pulling him closer, running his fingers gently across Merlin’s elbow. “But _god_ I-“ he gasped, tears forming in his eyes, “I thought I was going to die in there. I thought I’d never see you again. I’m so sorry I didn’t make the meal. God, _Merlin_.”

Merlin choked on the heavy feeling in his throat, a trail of water cascading down his own face. “I’m sorry too. Gods. I love you so much.” He set his tea down, wrapping both arms around his trembling husband, pulling him into his embrace.

“I love you too,” mumbled Arthur, burying his face into Merlin’s neck as he continued to shake and tears wracked through him. Wincing, he pulled back after a while. “But I’m going to need to sleep this off.”

Merlin shuffled from foot to foot, unsure.

“Merlin,” Arthur sighed, pulling him along behind him up the stairs, as he tripped over his own feet, “that means you’re going to come hug the fuck out of me. And then tomorrow we’re going to talk about me being a spy and you being magic. But right now I want to cuddle with my husband and I’m going to be disgustingly cute about it.”

Merlin nodded, threading his fingers through Arthur’s, and letting him pull them into to their bed. They would be okay.


End file.
